PV Gap

Manuel Said:

Culture Poll: Do you live in a highly restricted neighborhood or one where anything goes?

We Answered:

My neighborhood is rather....odd. It's a mixed income neighborhood with everything from small, inexpensive homes closer to the main roads (considered less desirable) all the way up to scattered McMansions deep in the center near a large, wooded park. The vast majority of the homes are solidly middle income houses in the $300,000 range. Those people complained about the smaller homes being built when larger lots were split ("I don't want one of those houses next to mine! Our property values will go down!") and then complained about the McMansions being built ("Those are unsightly monstrosities that take up four lots! I don't want that by my house!") and they REALLY complained when my household moved in ("I don't care how many rooms that unsightly monstrosity has, 11 people should not live in one house!").

Clotheslines and solar panels have never been an issue. LOL!

It's turned out to be a fun neighborhood as a lot of those middle income houses were foreclosed on and new people moved in who didn't remember the neighborhood before all of the changes. They just kind of accepted that we had the "poor" people in the front, those who are insanely unafraid to buy big or have slightly more money or resources in the back. They also get on with my household quite well as WE are the creative ones in the neighborhood and we throw frequent neighborhood parties. No one even complains about my pet pygmy goat anymore, either. So it all worked out. It was just a bit tense the first couple of years.

What is tacky to me? Junker cars and broken appliances in the yard and dead grass. If you can't afford to water your grass, then please rip it out and replace it with gravel or astroturf. There's no law or policy against that in my area. The fun, funky stuff does exist in my neighborhood and I love those houses. One lady has an entire platoon of garden gnomes in the front of her house, engaged in various activities. We got a bit tipsy one night and made a sign that said "Free the Gnomes!" and planted it in her yard. She obviously got a kick out of it because she moved it closer to her house - still in the front yard for all to see. I hope I never have to move. :-)

Edit: No, noise isn't an issue here. We have a very long driveway and the house is right in the middle of our property, so we can't hear too much. We did hear someone playing bagpipes (!!!) the other day, but that's because we were by the back fence near the park having a household meeting/garden party. Otherwise, we wouldn't have heard it at all.

Clinton Said:

Culture Poll: Do you live in a highly restricted neighborhood or one where anything goes?

We Answered:

There are a few neighbors who try to impose rules on the rest of us, but hey, this is San Francisco, where we don't take kindly to being bossed. As far as I'm concerned, you can do whatever you want on your own property, with the exception of detonating nuclear devices (yes, Mr. Bush, I said nu-cle-ar - work on that)